Chibb cocked his head on one side. His bright eye watched Gonff as he picked crumbs of chestnut from his whiskers with his tongue. The robin coughed nervously.

Columbine had assessed the situation correctly. She interrupted in a more friendly tone. “Of course the nuts will be carefully counted, Mr. Chibb. The bags will be completely filled. I will see that four more nuts be added as an interest for the two that have just been eaten, and another four added as evidence of our good faith in your well-known skills.”

Chibb shifted his claws and fixed Columbine with a quizzical stare. “Ahem, hem, you are the one from Loamhedge they call Columbine. I shall do business with you, harrumph, ’scuse me. These others are not required for our dealings.”

Lady Amber breathed a sigh of relief. Chibb could be incredibly pompous and stubborn; thank the fur for the good sense and initiative shown by Columbine.

The robin flew down and bowed courteously to the Loamhedge mouse. “Aherrahem! There is, however, one small matter that may cost an extra nut or two . . .”

Billum nudged Gonff. “Oi ’spected thurr moight be, hurr hurr.”

Chibb ignored the mole. “Harrumph, yes, there’s the question of the eagle, Argulor. Ahem, as you know, he is back in the area of Kotir. This puts an, ahem, element of risk upon my espionage activities.”

Columbine nodded in agreement. “Indeed it does, Mr. Chibb. I appreciate this. Should you be attacked or injured in any way by large birds, we propose in doubling your fee. Do we have a bargain, sir?”

Chibb was almost dumbfounded by this generous offer. He held out a claw to Columbine. “Er ahem, a bargain, Miss Columbine. A bargain indeed!”

Paw shook claw. Lady Amber interrupted to give details of the spying mission to the robin, Gonff tossed the two bags expertly up into Chibb’s home in the elm, and goodbyes were made all around as the friends departed. A few paces into the undergrowth Lady Amber held up a paw.

“Hush! Listen!”

Silently they tried to stifle their laughter as the sounds of Chibb reached them. The robin was stuffing himself with his fee, coughing with excitement as he crammed candied chestnuts into an already overflowing beak.

“Ahemcawscrunffmmmharrumphcrunch!”

Martin held his sides as tears from stifled laughter ran down his cheeks. “Hahaha, oh dear, listen to that. Oh, the little glutton! Columbine, whatever possessed you to offer him a double fee like that?”

Columbine leaned up against a tree, helpless with mirth. “Well I, oh, heeheehee, I could have offered him ten times the fee, if I’d have thought, ohahaha. Imagine a robin coming back to claim a fee after being attacked by a golden eagle, hahaheeheee. There wouldn’t be enough of him left to make a smear on Argulor’s beak. That eagle could scoff Chibb in a half-mouthful, hahahaha!”

* * *

Tsarmina stood at a barred window in full view of Argulor’s perch.

“I’m here, you great feathered blindworm,” she called.